Few automakers have made the commitment to electric mobility that Volkswagen has with its I.D. series concept vehicles. The original I.D. unveiled last year in Paris was the preview of an all-electric VW going on sale by 2020, and the vanguard of a future Volkswagen electric fleet. The I.D. BUZZ revealed in Detroit showed how a similar vehicle could embrace the fun and flexibility of the original Microbus.

This week in Shanghai, Volkswagen revealed the third concept in the ID series. Dubbed the I.D. CROZZ, this concept previews a future production model that blends electric power in a stylish SUV body style, with new ideas about the technology to enliven the driving experience.

“The I.D. CROZZ gives you a clear indication of our brand’s future,” said Herbert Diess. Chairman of the Board of Management for the Volkswagen Brand. “It offers everything that is great about SUVs – safety, space and emotional design.

Based as all I.D. cars are on the Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB), the I.D. CROZZ combines 302-hp electric motors in all-wheel-drive layout with a 311-mile driving range on the New European Drive Cycle. A full 80 percent of its battery charge can be refilled in 30 minutes with a 150 kW DC fast charger. And like all Volkswagens, the I.D. CROZZ offers a high level of driving enjoyment, with a 112-mph top speed, rear-biased all-wheel-drive and a front strut-type/rear multi-link suspension similar to the Golf GTI.

In its design, the I.D. CROZZ hearkens to the original Volkswagen Beetle with the smooth, grille-free front end. The front LED lights combine to form an “integrated spotlight,” with the lights able to move and even communicate with other drivers when its on-demand autopilot system is engaged. The MEB platform’s battery tray in the floor of the car allows designers to maximize usable volume; while similar in size to the compact I.D., the I.D. CROZZ has as much interior space as the new 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan, and a bicycle can easily fit crosswise through the sliding rear doors.

The I.D. Pilot system retracts the steering wheel into the dash when the car is being driven on autopilot. The driver stays aware of key information thanks to an advanced heads-up display and an augmented-reality windshield. Even the panoramic sunroof has new tech: a motion-controlled movable shade that cuts glare while offering a soft ambient light.

Volkswagen has committed to build one million electric vehicles annually by 2025, and the I.D. CROZZ will be a major part of that drive.

“If it was ever possible to make a one-hundred per cent certain prediction of what the future will look like, it is achieved here,” said Klaus Bischoff, Head of Design for the Volkswagen Brand. “The three prototypes of this new generation of zero-emission vehicles – I.D., I.D. BUZZ and I.D. CROZZ – mark the start of a design and technology revolution that is going to change individual mobility and the Volkswagen brand forever.”